Topline
Tamayo Perry—a professional surfer with acting credits in films like "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and "Blue Crush"—died Sunday after sustaining several shark bites near the Hawaiian island of O'ahu, multiple outlets reported.
Key Facts
Perry, who was serving as a lifeguard with Honolulu Ocean Safety Services, was attacked by a shark near Mālaekahana Beach just before 1 p.m. Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
First responders brought Perry, 49, ashore by jetski and he was later pronounced dead.
Honolulu Ocean Safety acting chief Kurt Lager said during a press conference that Perry, who had been working as a lifeguard for over a decade, was a globally known professional surfer with an "infectious" personality.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi reportedly said Perry was a "legendary waterman" and called his death “a tragic loss.”
Perry was originally from O'ahu and had been professionally surfing for over a decade, most notably spending time surfing the Pipeline off of O'ahu's North Shore, known as the world's deadliest wave.
Outside of surfing, Perry was known for minor roles in "Blue Crush," "Hawaii Five-0" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," in which he played an uncredited Buccaneer (he also did stunts for the 2004 Owen Wilson film "The Big Bounce," according to IMDB).
In addition to his acting credits, he starred in ad campaigns for the Nissan Xterra SUV that aired during the NFL playoffs and Winter Olympics, and appeared in a Coca-Cola commercial.
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Crucial Quote
“As much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more," Lager reportedly said of Perry.
Key Background
Honolulu Ocean Safety Services posted shark warnings in the area after the attack on Perry. There are about 40 species of sharks that live in Hawaiian waters, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, and eight are commonly spotted near shore. Tiger sharks are considered the most aggressive in Hawaii. It has not been reported what type of shark attacked Perry.
Tangent
Eight shark attacks were reported last year and fewer than 180 have been reported across all of Hawaii since 1980, according to American Surf Magazine. Attacks seem to increase between the months of October through December, the state says, a trend that caused early Hawaiians to caution against going in the water in the autumn months. American Surf also noted that attacks seem to be on the rise: There have been an average of 5.8 attacks annually from 2000 to 2023, the magazine said, an increase of 1.7 per year in the two decades before. The magazine attributed the rise to better reporting of such attacks.